Samsung Rugged Military Grade Protective Cover

Samsung offers a compelling design for a rugged case with a built-in kickstand. Branded with the Samsung logo on the back, this case adds texture to help add grip to your phone. There are precise cutouts on the bottom for access to the headphone jack, charging port, and S Pen and again you really got to appreciate how Samsung incorporated the kickstand into the design — always there when you need it without being clunky and adding bulk.

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Shield Series Case

Are you the type that can't be trusted with nice things? Needs to keep your phone fully encased in plastic to protect it from yourself? No judgments here — the first step is admitting you have a problem.

The next step is finding the right solution, which just might be the mighty rugged Supcase Unicorn Beetle Shield Series case. Combining a polycarbonate outer shell with a flexible and shock-absorbing TPU sleeve, this case goes an extra step further by including a built-in screen protector around front to prevent scratches from ruining your Note 8's display.

It's otherwise a pretty standard design for a rugged case — beefy in the corners where it needs to be yet slim and sporty enough as to not turn your phone into a thick brick of plastic. You can get yours from Amazon for just $20.

UAG Plasma Rugged Case

The go-to rugged case for many smartphone users, the UAG Plasma is a rugged and lightweight case that's arguably the coolest looking case on this list — although that's always a matter of personal opinion.

It's a remarkably slim case with a great amount of texture and ridges along the side edges and back to assist with in-hand grip. With reinforced corners to take the brunt of any falls that also provides relief from your screen when you put your phone face down, this is a case style that's been perfected over the years to offer maximum protection for premium devices such as the Note 8. It's also thin enough to remain compatible for NFC and Qi wireless charging functionality.

But you will pay a somewhat steep price for all that premium design and build quality — as low as $22 for some color options and up to $55.99 for the all-black Monarch model. Completely justifiable for smartphone peace of mind.

Spigen Tough Armor Case

Spigen always offers a wide array of case options, but if you're looking for something rugged look no further than the Tough Armor case.

It offers the rugged dual-layer protection you want while keeping the outer shell clean with a matte finish and a kickstand that's there if you need it, but otherwise kept flush with the back of the case and out of the way. It's all shock absorbing TPU around the top and corners — the main areas to take the brunt of a fall — with a polycarbonate shell around the back. If you're worried about adding a bunch of bulk to your phone, you can rest easy with the Spigen Tough Armor — it adds only 2.5mm of girth to the back of the Note 8. The buttons along the side are covered as you'd expect and kept flush with the design of the case, with the power button given some extra texture so you can always find it.

The Tough Armor is available in five different color options, with the base model (in black) starting at $16.99.

Zizo Static Series Case

Some case makers add a whole bunch of "stylish" accents to the back of their case — Zizo is one such company.

These cases sure stand out from the rest of the pack with sharp angles around the corners and all the ridges and textures on the backside. Whether you like the look of these cases or not is a matter of personal taste, but there's no denying that all those ridges will help with your grip and if it still manages to slip out of your hands it should survive most drops. There's also a pop-out kickstand which is always a handy feature.

The Zizo Static Series is available in seven different color combinations, all for the low price of $11.

OtterBox Commuter Series Case

OtterBox is one of the most trusted brands for offering rugged cases that are always backed by great customer service.

The OtterBox Commuter Series balances its dual-layer design while maintaining a fairly compact form for a rugged case. It's compatible with screen protectors (of course OtterBox recommends their own brand) and features a generous lip around the screen to protect the display from scuffs and scratches.

If you've held off on buying a case like the OtterBox Commuter Series you're in luck! Usually sold for $50, you can get this case in black for just $19. Backed by OtterBox's limited lifetime warranty, you can buy with confidence.